In vitro synthesis of ribonucleic acids and enzyme therefor



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IN VITRO SYNTHESIS OF RIBONUCLEIC ACIDS AND ENZYME THEREFOR Filed March 18, 1966 sheet of e m 1 1 CL E m g cn LU 8 vu Q 1 2 M. g g e o l0 m cpm/025ml ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofi ice 3,444,041 Patented May 13, 1969 U.S. Cl. 195-28 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Biologically active nucleic acids are synthesized in vitro in an enzymatic system from nucleotide bases and a biologically active nucleic acid template.

This is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Ser. No. 509,458, tiled Sept. 29, 1965 and now abancloned.

A United States Government contract or grant from or by the Public Health Service supported at least some of the work set forth herein.

As used herein, the term biologically active includes the basis for the assay procedure described, infra, namely, the production of infectious viral RNA, and, more generally, includes materials that possess genetically competent characteristics of information essential to life or processes thereof. These biologically active materials are genetically competent and can transmit information to a system that will follow their instructions and translate them into biological sense.

The term phage herein refers to bacteriophage.

This invention relates to methods and systems useful in the synthesis in vitro of biologically active nucleic acids and the isolation of such biologically active nucleic acids, the preparation of puried enzymic component of these systems and the resulting purified enzymic component which is free of detectable levels of degrading enzymes and enzyme inhibitors, and the biologically active nucleic acids produced therewith.

Living organisms, including humans, animals, plants, and microorganisms, use biologically active nucleic acids in the processes of storing and transmitting translatable genetic or hereditary information or messages and in the synthesis of the large number of tissue and body proteins. Two nucleic acids which can function under proper conditions at transmitters of the genetic code are DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). In the living organism, these nucleic acids are generally combined with proteins to form nucleoproteins.

These DNA and RNA molecules consist of comparatively simple constituent nucleotides (nitrogen base, pentose sugar moiety, and phosphate groups) polymerized into chains containing hundreds to thousands of these nucleotide units generally linked together through chemical bonds formed between the constituent phosphate and sugar groups.

These nitrogen bases are classitied as purines or pyrimidines. The pentose sugar is either ribose or deoxyribose. Phosphoric acid groups are common to both DNA and RNA. On complete hydrolysis, DNA and RNA yield the following compoundsz.

DNA RNA Adenine (A) Adenine (A) Cytosine (C) Cytosine (C) Guanine (G) Guanine (G) Thymine (T) Uracil (U) Methylcytosine Hydroxymethylcytosine Deoxyribose Ribose Phosphoric acid Phosphoric acid It should be noted that the bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), and guanine (G) are common to both DNA and RNA; the base thymine (T) of DNA is completely replaced by the base uracil (U) in RNA. Methylcytosine occurs in small amounts in various deoxyribonucleic acids of animal origin and in wheat germ. In the DNA of several bacteriophages, cytosine is completely replaced by hydroxymethylcytosine.

Hydrolysis of these nucleic acids under appropriate conditions liberates a group of compounds known as nucleotides; these nucleotides consist of a purine or pyrimidine bases linked to pentose sugar moiety, which sugar moiety is esteritied with phosphoric acid. These nucleotides are the subunits from which polymeric nucleic acids are constructed.

The ribonucleic acid polynucleotide structure may be represented diagrammatically, for example, as follows:

The dotted lines above represent ester groupings between one of the free hydroxyl groups of the pentose and 0f the phosphate groups. The subscript n represents the number of repeating units which constitute the particular ribonucleic acid molecule.

Recent studies by chemists have shown that the DNA molecule has a doubly stranded chain which, when shown in three dimensions, has two chains interwined in a double helix. Each chain consists of alternating nucleotides, there being ten nucleotides in each chain per rotation of the helix, this ten nucleotide chain being about 34 A. in length. Both chains are right handed helices. These helices are evidently held together by hydrogen bonds formed between the hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms in the respective chains. The structure of the DNA molecule as it relates to the sequence of these bases in the molecule is now being elucidated; these structural studies are important, since it is now generally believed that this sequence of bases is the code by means of which the DNA molecule conveys or transmits its genetic information.

Chemists have shown that RNA generally is a singlestranded structure that has in its backbone the 5-carbon sugar ribose instead of the 5-carbon deoxyribose sugar found in DNA. As in DNA, the different nucleotides are linked together through the phosphate groups to form a long chain and thus to form an RNA molecule of high molecular weight. The RNA molecules do not seem t0 be as highly polymerized as the DNA molecules, and although there is evidence of hydrogen bonding between the RNA bases in some viruses, it is thought that no helical structure is involved. As with DNA, base sequence studies are now being made with RNA.

In genes, the repository of hereditary factors of living cells and viruses, specific genetic information resides in the nucleotide sequence appearing in the DNA and RNA molecules. These sequences are transmitted, encoded and reproduced in vivo by living organisms. When no modification of the DNA or RNA takes place an exact duplicate or replicate of the sequence is reproduced which in turn produces an exact duplicate or replicate of a particular protein molecule. If, however, a change takes place in the DNA 0r RNA molecules, which change can be mediated by some mechanism such as radiation, a foreign chemical reactant, etc., a mutation takes place wherein the altered DNA or RNA molecules duplicate or replicate the new DNA or RNA and these in turn produce new or altered proteins as dictated by the altered nucleotide structure.

We have discovered a method and controlled system for synthesizing in vitro biologically active nucleic acids using an initiating amount of intact, biologically active nucleic acid template, replicase and the requisite nucleotides. With this method, one may synthesize, for example, a ribonucleic acid molecule (RNA) identical with the intact template (the template is the model for replication) continuously over extended periods until or unless one arbitrarily or selectively stops the synthesis. This selfreplication involves the true and complete transmission I and translation from the intact template to the nucleotides, whereby the nucleotides are assembled structurally in the identical sequence that characterizes the intact template. The intact product synthesized may be either selectively labeled (e.g., radioactive) or nonlabeled and in a form that is free of detectable impurities or other materials with which it is otherwise found in nature.

More specifically, we have discovered a controlled system that provides for the synthesis of intact, biologically active nucleic acid in an in vitro enzymatic system from nucleotide bases using a selected, intact, biologically active nucleic acid free of detectable levels of destructive material as a template (e.g., input template). When the system produces biologically active replicas (identical copies of the same molecular weight) of the nucleic acid template, the process shall be referred to as one involving replication The enzyme catalyst shall be referred to as a polymerase or replicase, when the enzyme catalyst is an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, it is a replicasef Our process or system is particularly well suited for synthesizing in vitro biologically active ribonucleic acid (RNA) from ribonucleotide base components (substrates) having high bond energy, using an intact, homologous (contains the information for its specific replicase) biologically active RNA template, a homologous replicase that selectively recognizes the structural program or message of the template, has catalytic activity for the synthesis of intact biologically active RNA from ribonucleotides, and is entirely free of detectable levels of ribonuclease activity and detectable levels of other destructive enzymological activity, and using a cofactor that provides divalent ions which are not used up in the replicating system.

The particular translation by the replicase of the program of the template is dependent on factors that are discussed below.

The replicase for viral RNA is obtained either by introducing a selected virus nucleic acid (e.g., bacteriophage) free of any existing protective proteinaceous coating into an uninfected host bacterium cell to synthesize an enzyme that we believe does not preexist in the host cell, or, preferably, by introducing an intact bacteriophage (virus particle) into the bacterium cell to synthesize this enzyme.

The injected or intruding RNA has a structural program that defines a message that is translated into enzyme protein and is conserved during this translation. This enzyme, a homologous replicase (RNA-dependent RNA polymerase), is isolated from the altered cell and is then purified to remove detectable levels of the usual concurrent ribonuclease activity and other destructive and confounding enzymological activity which may be found in the bacterial cell.

The resulting partially purified enzyme, replicase, discriminately recognizes the intact homologous RNA genome of its origin and requires it as a template for normal synthetic replication. Thus, the purified replicase exhibits a unique and selective dependence on and preference for its homologous viral RNA in exhibiting viral RNA-polymerizing (synthesizing and/or replicating) activity. The replicase exhibits the unique and valuable ability to provide the replication of only intact viral RNA and does not provide for the replication of fragments or foreign sequences or incomplete copies of its own genome. The term genome refers to the entire complement of genes in a cell. The genes provide a repository of genetic information for living cells and viruses.

The nucleotide bases or substrate components for viral RNA replication should have sufficiently high bond energy for replication. Satisfactory replication of viral RNA has been achieved with four riboside triphosphates, namely, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), guanosine triphospate (GTP), cytidine triphosphate (CTP), and uridine triphosphate (UTP).

In replicating infectious viral RNA in vitro, we purified two different RNA replicases induced in a strain of Escherichia coli by two serologically distinct RNA bactcriophages. The enzyme protein preparations, described in further detail below, were effectively free of detectable levels of interfering ribonuclease, phosphorylase, and DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (transcriptase). These isolated enzymes (replicases) showed both a mandatory requirement for template RNA and an ability to mediate prolonged and extensive net synthesis of biologically active polyribonucleotide (RNA). The two replicases exhibited a unique discriminating selectivity in their response to added RNA. Under otherwse optimal conditions, both replicases were virtually inactive with heterologous RNA, including ribosomal and s-RNA of the host. Neither replicase functioned when the others RNA was used as a template. Each replicase only recognized the RNA of its origin and absolutely required it as a template for its synthetic activity.

There is good evidence that the replicase recognizes the particular sequence of nucleotides at the beginning and at the end of the biologically active viral RNA template during the course of replication. It is inferred from this recognition pattern that the intermediate portion of the RNA template is not essential to the direction of or instruction found in the replication mechanism studied by us. This suggests that the recognition sequences of nucleotides present at the beginning and end of a biologically active RNA template molecule can be selectively bonded to otherwise nonbiologically active or nonviral RNA to produce a synthesized biologically active RNA product. It is thought that the RNA forms a circle and these two recognition sequences of the molecule overlap each other to provide double-stranded regions; such overlapped regions could afford, therefore, identification of the RNA molecule in a single, rapid scanning process.

An RNA template of an in vitro replicating system may be formed in situ. If one were, for example, to introduce foreign bases or nucleotides (e.g., analogues of known bases or nucleotides) into our replicating system, a

mutant may be formed which would be the biologically active template for replication with those same bases or nucleotides; in such instances, one would be synthesizing mutants in vitro in a known way.

On a practical basis, the availability of our relatively pure replicase will allow the investigator to move into research areas not previously accessible. Thus we can now proceed to determine the effect of small or large changes in the replicase molecule upon its ability to synthesize RNA; and to determine the change in the biological activity of the RNA so produced by the altered replicase.

Being a protein and, therefore, made up of a series of amino acids, the structure of the replicase can now be studied, and the relation of its structure to the structure of the RNA produced can give important information, vis-a-viz, structure-activity relationships. Since the replicase is a large molecule and subject to varying degrees of hydrolysis by chemical or enzymatic means, it will be of interest to determine the effect of such hydrolysis,

whether they be comparatively minor or major, upon the biological activity of the molecule remaining. In addition, the protein molecule can be subjected lo varying degrees of chemical change such as acetylation of its reactive amino or hydroxyl groups, halogenation, nitration, or sulfonation; reaction with nitrous acid should convert the free amino groups of the protein to hydroxyl groups, again with some change in activity.

Our discovery of a method to produce a pure biologically active RNA-dependent RNA polymerase should be useful in the study and/or preparation of products with anti-viral activity, anticancer activity, and hormone and/ or enzyme activity. Such research could lead to important therapeutic advancements.

It is conceivable to project that an altered replicase might under certain conditions produce an altered RNA which in our system might possibly have altered virus properties or under ideal circumstances might have antivirus properties. It may be possible to use this system by perhaps adding a new component to the bacteria-pure, RNA-virus system, which will result in a new replicase, which replicase system can be directed to produce antiviral molecules.

In the production of a vaccine against a virus disease by present means, the virus is grown in a complex medium. Then by chemical or physical means is altered so that its disease producing ability becomes limited, the attenuated virus is then injected into an animal to produce antibodies. These antibodies are effective in neutralizing the activity of the attenuated virus and the original virus itself. Having large and almost unlimited amounts of the replicase available for a particular virus might be of help in the production of vaccines against the virus, for example, in the following paragraph.

The replicase per se on injection into an animal would be expected to replicate a virus particle and create the disease state. However, a replicase could induce, on injection into an animal, particles which could produce directly a form of the viral disease and to which the animal body could react by producing antibodies. In such a system, the altered replicase-animal system could produce antibodies directly avoiding the expensive and cumbersome system of present Vaccine production.

In the reaction system discussed above, a replicase has been isolated. It is known that other disease causing viruses are also RNA molecules; for example, the viruses which cause tobacco and tomato mosaic disease, poliomyelitis, influenza, Newcastle Disease in poultry, and mumps, among others, are ribonucleic acid-containing proteins. Our discovery points to the possibility that replicases for each of these RNA viruses could conceivably be derived from an appropriate system. The synthesis in vitro of such replicases in pure form should be an important advance in the study of the biochemistry of the diseases and in the preparation of vaccines.

With a pure replicase in hand, it is possible to determine its particular amino acid structure. In addition, with the pure RNA in hand, it should be possible to determine the nucleotide sequence in the RNA, as well as its other structural characteristics. Determination of amino acid structure and coding to give the particular RNA nucleotide sequence should be of importance in elucidating amino acid and nucleotide sequence correlation.

The intact viral RNA used by us as initiating template was isolated from purified virus. It was obtained by deproteinizing the RNA with phenol and purifying the RNA on sucrose gradients` It was not obtained from the virusinfected bacteria but from the complete virus particle (MS-2 and Q18).

The replicases were obtained by introducing viral RNA into an isolated mutant Hfr strain of E. coli (Q-13). The molecular weight of Q replicase was about 130,000.

We reproduced the template in vitro, for example, by a factor of 1014. That is, for each molecule of intact template we synthesized 1014 replicas. Further, we made 5 micrograms (eg, 3 1012 strands) of synthesized viral RNA every 20 minutes per 0.25 ml. of reaction mixture.

We made tests with the replicases which established the following central features of the polymerase reaction: (i) the replicases cannot function properly with fragments of homologous RNA; the replicase, therefore, cannot replicate either foreign sequences or incomplete copies of their own genome; (ii) the replicase enzymes generate polynucleotides of the same molecular weight as the template viral RNA; (iii) reactions initiated with templates at concentrations below saturation of replicase enzymes exhibit autocatalytic synthesis of RNA; (iv) the purified enzyme replicase products can serve as templates with efficiencies equal to that of viral RNA; (v) the RNA produced by the enzyme replicases are-"biologically active, as demonstrated by infectivity tests; (vi) the RNA produced was fully as competent (as reflected by yield and degree of infectivity) as the original RNA in programming the synthesis of complete virus particles.

The data obtained showed that the self-propagation of complete viral genomes occurred in an aqueous system composed of buffer, purified replicase, intact RNA template, nucleotides, and magnesium ions. The present available evidence indicates that each of the several abovementioned components must be represented in the reaction mixture to complete the replication cycle.

Biologically active RNA polymerase (replicase) and th infective RNA produced with our system and method are intact and free of the impurities or materials with which they are otherwise found in nature. The synthesized viral RNA, for example, is free of its normally occurring protein coating. The controlled RNA product produced with our system and method thus offers the advantage of being useful in experimental, laboratory and commercial activities where one wishes to use a biologically active RNA that is free of detectable confounding or extraneous materials. Our controlled system also is free of detectable confounding or extraneous materials and thus provides an important means for studying the mechanism by which genetic changes and replication occur in lifes processes and a means of understanding, modifying, or changing such processes or mechanisms.

The isolation and purification of an RNA dependent RNA-polymerase (replicase) from E. coli infected with the RNA bacteriophage MS-Z, provides a purified enzyme which shows a mandatory requirement for added RNA and, furthermore, exhibits a unique preference for its homologous RNA. Ribosomal and s-RNA of the host does not substitute as a template and neither of these cellular RNA types shows any ability to interfere with the template function of the viral RNA.

The ability of the replicase to discriminate solves a crucial problem for an RNA virus attempting to direct its own duplication in an environment replete with other RNA molecules. By producing a polymerase which ignores the mass of preexistent cellular RNA, a guarantee is provided that replication is focused on the single strand of incoming viral -RNA, the ultimate origin of progeny.

equence recognition by the enzyme can be of value not only to the virus but also to the investigator. The search for viral RNA replicases must perforce be carried out in the midst of a variety of highly active cellular polymerases capable of synthesizing polyribonucleotides. If the enzyme finally isolated possesses the appropriate template requirement, a comforting assurance is furnished that the effort expended, and the information obtained, are indeed relevant to an understanding of viral replication. Operationally, this view demands that viral RNA be used at all fractionation stages in assaying for polymerase activity.

This led to the expectation that RNA replicases induced by other RNA viruses would show a similar preference for their homologous templates. An opportunity to test the validity of this prediction came with the isolation of a new and unrelated RNA bacteriophage (Q) in the laboratory of Professor I. Watanabe (Nihon Rinsho, 22, 243 (1964)). A modification of the procedure employed to isolate the MS-2 replicase suiced to yield a highly purified and active Q replicase.

The unambiguous analysis of a replicating mechanism demands evidence that the reaction being studied is, in fact, generating replicas. If, in particular, the concern is with the synthesis of a viral nucleic acid, data on base composition and nearest neighbors are not suthcient. Ultimately, proof must be offered that the polynucleotide product contains the information necessary for the production of the corresponding virus particle in a suitable test system.

These conditions impose severe restraints on the type of experiments acceptable as providing information which is irrefutably relevant to the nature of the replicating mechanism. The enzyme system employed must be free of interfering and confounding activities so that the reaction can be studied in a simple mixture containing only the required ions, substrates, and templates. Since the biological activity of the product is likely to be cornpletely destroyed by even one break in the molecule, the elimination of nuclease activity must be very rigorous. The purity required imposes the necessity that the enzymological aspects of the investigation be virtually completed before an examination of mechanism can be safely instituted.

RNA replicases induced in E. coli by two serologically distinct RNA bacteriophages (MS-2 and Q) have been purified to a stage where they are free of detectable levels of RNAase, (ribonuclease), phosphorylase, and DNA- dependent RNA polymerase.

We have found that under optimal conditions, both enzymes (replicases) are virtually inactive with a variety of heterologous RNA species, including ribosomal and s-RNA of the host. Further, neither replicase can function with the others RNA. The enzymes require homol- I ogous RNA and can mediate prolonged and extensive synthesis of polyribonucleotide (RNA). Each enzyme (replicase) recognizes the RNA genome of its origin and requires it as a template for normal synthetic activity.

In summary, the purified replicases exhibited the following distinctive features: (a) freedom from detectable levels of the DNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase, ribonuclease I (J. Biol. Chem., 236, 82383l (1961)), ribonuclease II (J. Biol. Chem., 239, 3716-3726 (1964)), and RNA phosphorylase; (b) complete dependence on added RNA for synthetic activity; (c) competence for prolonged (more than 5 hours) synthesis of RNA; (d) ability to synthesize many times the input templates; (e) saturation at low levels of RNA (1\/RNA/40\/protein); (f) virtually exclusive requirement for intact homologous ten1- plate under optimal ionic conditions.

The discriminating selectivity of the replicase permitted a simple test of similarity between template and product. When reactions are started at template concentrations below those required to saturated the enzyme, RNA synthesis follows an autocatalytic curve. When the saturation concentration level is reached, the kinetics become linear. The autocatalytic behavior below saturation of the enzyme implies that the newly synthesized product can in turn serve as templates for the reaction. To test this conclusion directly, the product was purified from a reaction allowed to proceed until a 65-fo1d increase of the input RNA had accumulated. The ability of the newly synthesized RNA to initiate the reaction was examined in a saturation experiment and found to be identical to RNA isolated from virus particles. It is evident that the sequences employed by the enzyme for recognition are being faithfully copied.

Attention was focused on the discriminating selectivity displayed by the two replicases in their repsonse to added RNA. Neither replicase can function with the others RNA. Each recognizes the RNA genome of its origin and requires it as a template for synthetic activity.

The specificity exhibited raises questions of the mechanism employed by the replicase to distinguish its template from other RNA molecules. An obvious device would invoke the recognition of a beginning sequence, a possibility open to the simple test of challenging the replicase wtih fragmented preparations of homologous RNA. If the initial sequence is the sole requirement, RNA fragmented into half and quarter pieces should serve adequately as templates.

Our experiments show fragmented viral RNA to be extremely inefficient in stimulating the replicase to synthetic activity, implying that the recognition mechanism involves more than the beginning sequence. It is apparent- 1y designed to avoid the replication of fragments of its own genome even if they contain the beginning sequence.

The RNA produced by replicase is fully competent to program the production of complete virus particles. The replicase puried from E. cuI infected with an RNA bacteriophage (Qp) generates a polynucleotide of the same molecular weight as rival RNA and the replicase cannot distinguish the viral RNA from its own RNA genome. By starting reactions at input ratios below the saturation levels of template to enzyme, autocatalytic kinetics of RNA increases are observed. It is apparent that the selfpropagation of complete viral genomes or replicas of the input RNA is occurring in this simple system. In conclusion, there has been established the following crucial features of the replicating reaction mixture of infectious viral RNA template, purified replicase, ribosidetriphosphates, and Mg++z (l) the enzyme generates a polynucleotide of the same molecular weight (lXlOG) as the viral RNA; (2) when reactions are initiated with template at concentrations below saturation of enzyme, autocatalytic synthesis of RNA is observed; (3) the puritied product can, in turn, serve with full effectiveness as a template; (4) the RNA produced by the enzyme is biologically active, being as fully competent as the original RNA to program the synthesis of complete virus particles 1n protoplasts. These properties demonstrate unambiguously that the enzyme preparation being studied is, in fact, generating identical replicas of the input templates.

In the accompanying graphs or drawings:

FIGURE 1 compares the elution profiles of protein and enzyme activity of preparations (see Example I, part 5) derived from infected and noninfected cells (Example I, part 7). The complete dependence on Q-RNA shows that the enzyme contains no nucleic acid which can serve to stimulate the enzyme to activity within the period of assay. A corresponding fraction from uninfected cells shows similar elution properties but possesses no detectable RNA synthesizing ability;

FIGURE 2 shows (Example I, part 7) the kinetics of replicase activity in a reaction mixture containing saturating amounts RNA template (l ug. RNA per 40 ag. of protein). By variation in the amount of RNA added and the time permitted for synthesis, virtually any desired fold-increase of the starting material has been achieved;

FIGURE 3 shows (Example I, part 7) the effect of added amounts of protein at a fixed level of RNA template pg. RNA/0.25 mL). It is evident that the reaction responds linearly, which indicates the absence of interfering contaminants in the purified enzyme;

FIGURE 4 shows the kinetics of RNA synthesis and compares the appearance of both new RNA and infectious units at various periods of time (Example H1, part 1). The increase in RNA produced is paralleled by a rise in the number of infectious units;

FIGURE 5 comparies newly synthesized RNA and infectious units at stages of a serial transfer experiment (Example III, part 2). The newly synthesized RNA is fully as competent as the original viral RNA to program the synthesis of viral particles and to serve as templates for the generation of more copies;

FIGURE 6 shows the response of replicase to intact and fragmented Q-RNA (Example IV, part 2). The fragmented Q-RNA is unable to stimulate the replicase to anywhere near its full activity; and

FIGURE 7 shows the effects of RNA template size and Mn++ on the kinetics of RNA synthesis, and the abnormalities induced in the reaction by either fragmented RNA or the presence of Mn++ (Example IV, part 2). The synthesis of RNA continues linearly for extensive periods in the presence of saturating amounts of intact template and Mg++. When Mn++ is included in the reaction mixture, the reaction stops in about 60 minutes even with the 28S-RNA as the template. The response of the enzyme to fragmented template is such that the initial reaction rate is less than 10% of normal and ceases completely in 30 minutes whether Mui+ is present or not.

Referring to the specific examples which follow, Example I involves two RNA replicases induced in the same host by unrelated RNA bacteriophages. Both replicases have been purified and their responses to various RNA molecules examined. Under optimal ionic conditions both are virtually inactive with heterologous RNA, including ribosomal and sRNA of the host. Neither replicase can function with the others RNA. Each recognizes the RNA genome of its origin and requires it as a template for synthetic activity. This discriminating selectivity of its replicase is of obvious advantage to a virus attempting to direct its own duplication in a cellular environment replete with other RNA molecules.

Experiments are described in Examples Il and Ill, infra, with a purified replicase induced in E. coli by the RNA bacteriophage Q. The data demonstrate that the enzyme can generate identical copies of added viral RNA. A serialv dilution experiment established that the newly synthesized RNA is fully as competent as the original viral RNA to program the synthesis of viral particles and to serve as templates for the generation of more copies. Since the data show that the enzyme is, in fact, generating replicas, an unambiguous analysis of the RNA replicating mechanism is now possible in a simple system consisting of purified replicase, template RNA, ribosidetriphosphates, and Mg++.

In example IV, infra, fragmented viral RNA was found to be extremely inefficient in stimulating the replicase to synthetic activity. The replicase is apparently designed to avoid the replication of fragments of its own genome. Although the synthesis of viral RNA continues linearly for extensive periods in the presence of saturating amounts of intact template and Mg++, if Mn++ is included in the reaction mixture, the reaction stops after a relatively short period of time.

Example V, infra, illustrates a procedure for obtaining intact viral RNA such as Q phage for use as a template. The same general procedure may be used to prepare MS2 phage, as well as other phages.

EXAMPLE I 1) Bacteriaalzd viruses The bacterial viruses employed are MS-Z (originally obtained from Dr. A. I. Clark of the department of microbiology, University of California, Berkeley, Calif.) and Q (provided by Professor Watanabe). When working with both MS-2 and Q, it is essential to continually monitor for contamination of one by the other. Fortunately there is virtually no seriological cross reaction between the two (Nihon Rinsho, 22, 243 (1964)), so that the appropriate antisera can be used for identification and purity checks.

The two RNA coliphages, MS-Z and Q, have been characterized physically and serologically. MS-2 has an S20, w value of 79, a molecular weight of 36x10, a density of 1.422 and pH 3.9 as its isoelectric point. Q has an S29y w of 84, a molecular weight of 4.2 105, a density of 1.439, and an isoelectric point at pH 5.3. One host (E. coli A-19) permits a distinction between the two on the basis of a marked difference in plaque size. They are distinct immunochemically, no serological cross reaction being detectable.

The host and assay organism is a mutant Hfr strain of E. coli (Q-l3) isolated in the laboratory of W. Gilbert of the department of biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., by Diane Vargo, formerly an assistant of Dr. Gilbert, now a graduate student in the department of microbiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill. It has the convenient property of lacking ribonuclease I and RNA phosphorylase. (Fed. Proc., 24, 293 (1965): Q-13 is a derivative of A-19, a RNAase negative mutant reported here.) Preparation of virus stocks and purified RNA followed the methods of Doi and Spiegelman in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S., 49, 353-360 (1963).

(2) PreparaIO/z 0f infected cells The basic medium employed for growing infected cells and producing virus contained the following in grams per liter: NH4C1, l; MgSO47H2O, 0.06, gelatin, 1x10-5; casamino acids (vitamin free), l5; glycerol, 30; to this is added after separate autoclaving 7 ml. of 0.1 M CaCl2 and 10 ml. containing 4 gm. of Na2HPO4-7H2O and 0.9 gm. KH2PO4. Lysates in liter quantities are first prepared to be used for infection of larger volumes of cell suspensions. These are obtained by infecting log phase cultures (ODM, of 0.25) with a purified phage preparation at a multiplicity of about 5. They are incubated while shaking at 37 C. until lysis is complete and then monitored for titer and purity of the phage. Such lysates can be stored frozen at 17 C. indefinitely and thawed just prior to use. ln general, liter quantities of cells are grown up in carboys to an OD660 of between 0.275 and 0.290. The temperature in the carboys is 34 C. while the temperature of the water bath in which they are immersed is maintained at 37 C. When the cells reach an ODGGU of 0.275, they are infected with virus at a multiplicity of between 10 and 50 and allowed to aerate for mixing for one minute. The aeration is interrupted for 10 minutes for absorption, reinstituted, and the incubation continued. At 25 minutes sufficient sucrose and magnesium are added to give final concentrations of 18% and 0.01 M respectively. After another 5 minutes the process is terminated by the addition of crushed ice. The cells are harvested in a Sharples Centrifuge and stored at 14 C., at which temperature ability to yield active enzyme is retained for periods exceeding 6 months. Uninfected cells are prepared and stored in the same manner. To provide uniform preparations for enzyme isolation the cells are thawed sometime prior to use and resuspended (20 grams of packed cells in 100 ml.) in a solution containing 0.01 M tris buffer pH 7.4, 0.001 M MgCl2, and 0.0005 M mercaptoethanol and 5 )Lg/ml. of DNAase (ribonuclease). After thorough resuspension with a magnetic stirrer at 4 C., the suspension is divided into convenient aliquots in plastic tubes, frozen, and stored at 14 C.

(3) Radoact ve substrates p32-labeled ribonucleoside monophosphates were synthesized as described in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S., 50, 905-911 (1963). The labeled mononucleotides were converted enzymatically to the corresponding ribonucleoside triphosphates by a kinase preparation isolated (Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 61, 29-33 (1962)) from E. coli.

(4) Chemical and biological reagents Unlabeled riboside triphosphates were from P-L Biochemicals, Inc. Milwaukee, Wis. DNAase was 2X recrystallized from Worthington Biochemical Company, Freehold, NJ., further purified on DEAE-cellulose coiumns to remove contaminating ribonuclease-Phosphoenolpyruvate ('PEP) and the corresponding kinase (PEP- kinase) were purchased from Calbiochem, lne., Los Angeles, Calif.; lysozyme from Armour and Company, Kankakee, Ill.; and protamine sulfate from Eli Lilly, Indianapolis, Ind. The turnip-yellow-mosaie-virus (TYMV- RNA) and the Satellite virus of the tobacco-necrosisvirus (STNV-RNA) were both provided by Dr. E. Reichmann of the Botany Department at the University of Illinois.

(5) Preparation of enzyme The following procedure is described for 20 grams of packed cells. The frozen cell suspension (120 ml.) is thawed and to this is added 0.5 nig/ml. of lysozyme following which the mixture is frozen and thawed twice, using methanol and Dry Ice as the freezing mixture. To the lysate are added 0.9 ml. of 1 M MgCl2 and 2.5 4iig/ml. DNAase (deoxyribonuclease) and the resulting mixture is incubated for l minutes in an ice bath. The extract is then centrifuged for 20 minutes at 30,000 g. and the supernate removed. The pellet is transferred to a prechilled mortar, ground for minutes, and then resuspended in 30 ml. of the same buffer as used for the cell suspension except that the magnesium concentration is raised to 0.01 M to increase the effectiveness of the DNAase digestion. The extract is then centrifuged at 30,000X g. for 20 minutes and the two supernates combined, adjusted to 0.01 M EDTA, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (previously brought to pH 7.4), and incubated at 0 C. for 5 minutes. insoluble proteins appear and are removed by centrifugation at 30,000X g. for 20 minutes. At this stage, a typical active infected extract has an ODM, of between 150 and 180. Lower values commonly signal a poor infection with a resulting low yield of enzyme. To the cleared supernatant uid is added 0.01 mg. of protamine sulfate for each ODZG unit. After minutes the precipitate, containing virtually all the enzyme activity, is collected by centrifugation at 12,000 g. for l0 minutes. Itis dissolved in 12 ml. of standard buffer (0.01 M tris buffer, pH 7.4; 0.005 M MgCl2; 0.0005 M mercaptoethanol), adjusted to 0.4 M (NH4)2SO4, and allowed to stand overnight at 0 C. This period of waiting is important for the subsequent fractionation since complete disaggregation was found to be essential for acceptable separation of the replicase from transcriptase (transcriptase is the transcribing enzyme which employs DNA as a template to synthesize complementary RNA and is also known as DNA-dependent RNA polymerase). The extract is diluted with 24 ml. of standard buffer, and after minutes, is centrifuged at 30,000 X g. for 20 minutes and for each 40 ml. of supernatant are added 12 ml. of a 0.5% solution of protamine sulfate. The precipitate which forms contains virtually all of the DNA- dependent RNA polymerase along with an RNA independent RNA polymerizing activity. The RNA replicase remains in the supernatant and begins to show good dependence on added RNA. (This is one of the critical steps in the fractionation and any variation in host, medium, time or temperature of infection modifies the amount of protamine required to achieve separation. It is often safer to titrate small aliquots and determine the amount of protamine needed by appropriate assays.) After 10 minutes the precipitate is removed by centrifugation at 12,000 g. for l0 minutes. To the resulting supernate is added an equal volume of saturated ammonium sulfate (saturated at 0 C. and adjusted to pH 7.0 with ammonium hydroxide). After l0 minutes at 0 C. the precipitate is collected by centrifugation at 12,000 g. for 10 minutes and dissolved in 4 ml. of standard buffer containing 0.4 M ammonium sulfate. The resulting solution is then dialyzed against one liter of standard buffer for 1.5 hours. The dialyzed fraction is adjusted to 0.05 M ammonium sulfate with standard buffer and passed through a DEAE-cellulose column (1.2 x 10 cm.) which is washed with 100 ml. of standard buffer just prior to use. After loading the protein, the column is washed with 40 ml. of standard buffer containing 0.12 M NaCl which removes protamine, a poly-A synthetase (I. Biol. Chem. 237, 3786-3793 (1962)) and residual K-dependent ribonuclease. The enzyme is then eluted with ml. of standard buffer containing 0.20 M NaCl. To fractions possessing enzyme activity, saturated ammonium sulfate is added to make the final solution 10% saturation. At this stage, the enzyme preparation has an ODM/ODM ratio of 1.35 and usually contains 1 mg. of protein per ml. Under the ionic conditions specified, no loss in activity is observed over a month of storage at 0 C.

(6) The standard assay-assay of enzyme activity by incorporation of radioactive nucleotides The standard reaction volume is 0.25 ml. and unless specified differently contains the following in umoles: tris HC1 pH 7.4, 21; magnesium chloride, 3.2 (when ineluded, manganese chloride, 0.2); CTP, ATP, UTP, and GTP, 0.2 each. The enzyme is usually assayed at a level of pg. of protein in the presence of 1 iig. of RNA template. The reaction is run for 20 minutes at 35 C. and terminated in an ice bath by the addition of 0.15 ml. of neutralized saturated pyrophosphate, 0.15 ml. of neutralized saturated orthophosphate, and 0.1 ml. of trichloracetic acid. The precipitate is transferred to a membrane filter and washed seven times with 5 ml. of cold 10% TCA. The membrane is then dried and counted in a liquid scintillation counter as described in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S., 50, 905-911 (1963). This washing procedure brings zero time counts to less than 80 c.p.m. with input counts of 1 1O6 c.p.m. The specific activities of the labeled triphosphates added were adjusted so that with the efficiency employed, 1 106 c.p.m. corresponds to 0.2 moles of the corresponding triphosphate.

(7) Results (A) Properties of the purified Q repIiCase.-F1GURE l concerns chromotography on DEAE-cellulose of second protamine supernatant and compares the elution profiles of protein and enzyme activity of preparations (sle part 5, supra) derived from infected and noninfected ce s.

In obtaining the data for FIG. l, the following procedure was used: 35 ml. of 0.2 M NaCl in standard buffer was placed on the column just before collection of fraction number 1. Prior to this, the column had been washed with 0.12 M NaCl as described in part 5, supra. It will be noted that the peak of enzyme activity is found in the descending shoulder of the O.D. profile. Rechromatography yields coincidence of the two.

Infected preparations exhibit a polymerase activity which elutes with 0.2 M NaCl, responds excellently to added Q/S-RNA, and is devoid of the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The complete dependence on Q-RNA shows that the enzyme contains no nucleic acid which can serve to stimulate the enzyme to activity within the period of assay. A corresponding fraction from uninfected cells shows similar elution properties but possesses no detectable RNA synthesizing ability.

Table 1, infra, shows that after the DEAE step the enzyme is completely devoid of ribonuclease I, phosphorylase, and the Kat-stimulated ribonuclease. The presence of the energy-generating system (PEP-i-PEP kinase) has little elfect on the reaction (see Table 2, infra) indicating freedom from interfering enzymes which can destroy riboside triphosphates. Finally, DNAase has no influence on the reaction, whereas the presence of even small amounts of pancreatic ribonuclease completely eliminates the net synthesis of polyribonucleotide.

. t 'l l TABLE 1.-ASSAY FOR RIBONUCLEASE AND PHOSPHO- RYLASE 1 C14-ADP, Incorporation Percent Hl-RNA Hydrolyzed in (30 min.) 30 min.

c.p.m. 0.25 M K+ 0.25 M Na+ Neither Before DEAE 2 40 41 12 2% After DEAE 2 32 2% 2% 2% 1 The assay for phosphorylase was carried out as described at J. Mol. Biol., 111 257-271 (1965). Each reaction (0.25 ml.) contained 40 pg protein and 1 mole oi' C14-ADP at 6X104 cpm. For the ribonuclease, 10 pg at 1)(104 cpm were added per reaction mixture.

2 Similar preparations from wild type incorporate 30,000 c.p.m. (equiyalent to 480 pmoles) before DEAE step and about half that after elution from the column.

TABLE 2.-EFFECT OF NUCLEASES AND ENERGY GEN- ERATING SYSTEM ON QB REPLICASEl C.P.M. Template Incorporated Addition 1 Except for the additions noted, the assays were carried out under the standard conditions described in part 6, supra.

TABLE 3.-REQ,UIREMENTS OF QB REPLICASE UMP (or AMP) Incorporati on inmoles 1 Conditions of assay are those described in part 6, supra, except that Mn++ was included at 0.2 #moles per 0.25 m1.

FIGURE 2 concerns the kinetics of replicase activity and shows the kinetics observed in a reaction mixture containing saturating amounts of template (1 ng. RNA per 40 pg. of protein). In obtaining the data for FIG. 2: each 0.25 ml. contained 40 ng. of protein and l ng. of Q-RNA; all other conditions are as specified in part 6; the specific activity of the UTP32 was such that the incorporation of 4,000 c.p.m. corresponds to the synthesis of 1 ng. of RNA. Continued synthesis is obser-ved at 35 C. for periods exceeding 5 hours. It will be noted that in 2 hours the amount of RNA synthesized corresponds to times the input template. By variation in the amount of RNA added and the time permitted for synthesis,virtually any desired fold-increase of the starting material has been achieved. The cessation of synthesis within 5-10 minutes reported by others for presumably similar preparations has Ibeen observed by us only in the early stages of purification. FIGURE 3 concerns the response to added protein and examines the effect of added amounts of protein at a fixed level of template (5 ng. RNA/0.25 mL). In obtaining data for FIG. 3, assays were run for 20 minutes at 35 C. under conditions specied in part 6, and, again, the incorporation of 4,000 c.p.m. corresponds to the synthesis of 1 lig. of RNA. It is evident that the reaction responds linearly indicating the absence of interfering contaminants in the purified enzyme.

(B) Specific template requirements of the replcases.- Table 4, infra, records the abilities of various RNA molecules to stimulate the Q replicase to synthetic activity at the saturation concentration (1 pg.) of homologous RNA and twice this level. The response of the QB replicase is for the MS-2 replicase, the preference being clearly for its own template. The only heterologous RNA showing detectable activity is TYMV and, at the 2 pg. level, it supports a synthesis corresponding to 6% of that observed with the homologous Q-RNA. Both of the heterologous viral RNAs, MS-Z, and STNV are completely inactive and, again, so are the ribosomal and transfer RNA species of the host cell (E. coli Q-13). As might be expected, bulk RNA from infected cells shows some templating activity which increases as the infection is allowed to progress. There is no detectable DNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity.

TABLE 4.-RESIONSE OF QB REPLICASE TO DIFFERENT 1 Conditions of assay are those specified in part G, supra. However, as in all eases, assay for DNA dependent activity is carried out nt 10 ng. oi' DNA per 0.25 ml. of reaction mixture. Control reactions containing no template yielded an average 0i 30 c.p.in.

To permit a definitive comparison of the two replicases derived from the same host, the MS-Z enzyme was isolated from appropriately infected Q13. The purification of the MS-2 replicase followed precisely the same protocol as described for the Q enzyme (part 5, supra) except that 0.22 M NaCl is used for elution from the DEAE column.

The results of the comparison between the two replicases are shown in Table 5, infra, and they are satisfyingly clear-cut. The MS-Z replicase shows no evidence of accepting the Q-RNA as a template at either level of RNA input. Similarly, the Q6 replicase completely ignores the MS-2 RNA while functioning quite well on its own template. It would appear from these data that template specificity is completely confirmed.

TABLE 5.-TEMPLATE SPECIFICITY OF TWO RNA 1 Conditions of assay are those specified in part 0, supra, with Mn++ present at 0.2 #moles per 0.25 ml.

With respect to the state of the enzyme and the method of purification, it is possible to isolate comparatively pure replicase from suitably infected wild type Hfr strains (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S. 50, 905-911 (1963)). However, the use of the mutant Q-l3 offered an Obvious advantage for the purification of the replicase since the crude extract was already free of ribonuclease I and phosphorylase. The two remaining interfering activities were due to the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (transcriptase) and a potassium stimulated ribonuclease.

It is important to emphasize that the complete removal of the transcriptase is essential if questions of mechanism and replicase specificity are to be answered without arnbiguity. The transcriptase can employ any RNA as ternplates for RNA synthesis and, in the process, forms a ribonuclease resistant structure. Consequently, the use of DNAase or actinomycin D does not ensure against confusion with transcriptase activity. In the fractionation procedure described in Example l, part 5, most of the transcriptase is removed in the precipitate fraction of the second protamine step. The remainder is left behind as a late component in the DEAE column. The potassium dependent nuclease is tightly bound to cell membrane fragments which are discarded in the low speed fraction by our comparatively gentle freeze-thaw method of cell rupture. The small amount of ribonuclease that does contaminate the extract is removed from the DEAE column by washing with 0.12 M NaCl which at the same time eliminates protamine and a poly-A synthesizing enzyme (I. Biol. Chem., 237, 3786-3793 (1962)). The resulting freedom from interfering and confounding activities makes it possible to study the replicase in a simple mixture containing only the required ions, substrates, and template.

The distinctive properties of the purified replicases described above may be summarized as follows: (a) complete dependence on added RNA; (b) competence for prolonged (more than 5 hours) synthesis of RNA; (c) ability to synthesize many times the input template; (d) saturation at low levels of RNA (1 pg. RNA per 40 pg. protein); (e) virtually exclusive requirement for homologous template under optimal ionic conditions.

In view of the very different states of purity, it is difiicult to interpret the differences in the properties observed with the enzymes reported here as compared with those detected or isolated by others. Activity independent of added RNA suggests that the purification has not achieved removal of contaminating RNA and, in any case, precludes examination of template specificity.

The comparison of the two purified replicases reported establish that each requires its homologous template. The experiment with the satellite-RNA (STNV) was a particularly interesting challenge. Reichmann showed (Proc. Natl Acad. Sci., US., 52, 1009-1017 (1964)) that the satellite virus contains only enough RNA to code for its own coat protein which suggests that it must employ the replicase of the companion virus (TNV) for its multiplication. This implies either that the satellite is related in sequence to the TNV virus, or that it possesses a feature permitting it to employ any viral RNA replicase. The fact that STNV-RNA did not serve as a template for either one of the two purified replicases implies that the answer will be found in at least partial sequence homology between STNV and TNV genomes; this is open to experimental test.

The specificity relations exhibited raise the question of the mechanism used by the replicase to distinguish its template from other RNA molecules. The involvement of a beginning sequence is an obvious possibility. However, the recognition mechanism is even more subtle, being designed to avoid replication of fragments of its own genome even if they contain the beginning sequence.

It should be evident that the replicases have been brought to a state of purity permitting the performance of unambiguous experiments which can hope to illuminate the mechanism of the RNA replicative process.

EXAMPLE II (1) Biological system and enzyme preparation The bacterial virus employed is Q, isolated by Watanabe (Nihon Rinsho, 22, 243 (1964)). The host and assay organism is a mutant Hfr strain of E. coli (Q-13) isolated in the laboratory of W. Gilbert by Diane Vargo. This bacterial strain has the convenient property (Fed. Proc., 24, 293 (1965)) of lacking ribonuclease I and RNA from them follow the methods in Proc. Natl Acad. and the subsequent isolation and purification of the replicase follows the detailed protocol of Example I, supra. The preparation of virus stocks and the purification of RNA from them follow the methods in Proc. Natl Acad. Sci., U.S., 49, 353-360 (1963).

(2) The assay of enzyme activity by incorporation of radioactive nucleotides The standard reaction mixture is 0.25 ml. and in addition to 407 of enzyme, contains the following in pmoles:

Tris HC1, pH 7.4, 21; MgCl2, 3.2; CTP, ATP, UTP, and GTP, 0.2 each. The reaction is terminated in an ice bath by the addition of 0.15 ml. of neutralized saturated pyrophosphate, 0.15 ml. of neutralized saturated orthophosphate, and 0.1 ml. of trichloracetic acid. The precipitate is transferred to a membrane filter and washed 7 times with 5 ml. of cold 10% TCA. The membrane is then dried and counted in a liquid scintillation counter as described previously. UTP32 was synthesized as described in Proc. Natl Acad. Sci., U.S., 50, 905-911 (1963). It was used at a specific activity such that the incorporation of 20,000 c.p.m. corresponds to the synthesis of 1^/ of RNA, permitting the use of 20x samples for following the formation of labeled RNA.

(3) Isolation of synthesized product Samples removed from the reaction mixture are placed immediately in an ice bath and 20x removed for immediate assay of radioactive RNA as described in part 2, supra. The volume is then adjusted to 1 ml. with TM buffer (10-2 M tris, 5x10-3 M MgCl2, pH 7.5). One ml. of water saturated phenol is then added and the mixture shaken in heavy wall glass centrifuge tubes (Soryall, 18 x 102 mm.) at 5 C. for one hour. After separation of the water phase from the phenol by centrifugation at 11,000 r.p.m. for 10 minutes, another 1 ml. of TM buffer is added to the phenol which is then mixed by shaking for 15 minutes at 5 C. Again, the phenol and water layers are separated, and the two water layers combined. Phenol is eliminated by two ether extractions, care being taken to remove the phenol from the walls of the centrifuge tubes by completely filling them with ether after each extraction. The ether dissolved in the water phase is then removed with a stream of nitrogen. The RNA is precipitated by adding 1/10 volume of potassium acetate (2 M) and 2 volumes of cold absolute ethanol. The samples are kept for 2 hours at 20 C. before being centrifuged for one hour at 14,000 r.p.m. in a Sorvall SS 34 rotor. The pellets are drained and the remaining alcohol removed by storing undcr reduced pressure in a vacuum desiccator for 6-8 hours at 5 C. The RNA is then dissolved in 1 ml. of buffer (10-2 M tris, 10-2 M MgCl2, pH 7.5) and samples removed imediately for infectivity assay. TCA prccipitable radioactivity is measured on 20x aliquots of the final product from which the percent recovery of synthesized RNA can be determined. In the range of 1-87, it was found that in general, 65% of the synthesized RNA was recovered. All purified products were examined for the presence of intact virus particles by assay on whole cells and none were found.

(4) The assay for infectivity of the synthesized RNA The procedure used is a modification of the spheroplast method of Guthrie and Sinsheimer as set forth in J. Mol. Biol., 2, 297 (1960). The necessary components are as follows:

(A) Medium-The medium used is a modification of the 3XD medium of Fraser and Jerrel (J. Biol. Chem., 205, 291-295 (1953)) and requires in grams/liter the following: Na2HPO4, 2 g.; KH2PO4, 0.9 g.; NH4C1, 1 g.; glycerol (Fisher Reagent), 30 g.; Difco Yeast Extract, 50 mg.; casamino acids (Difco Vitamin Free), 15 g.; l-mesthionine, 10 mg.; d,l-leucine, 10 mg.; MgSO4-7H2O, 0.3 g. These components are mixed in the order indicated in 500 ml. glass distilled water. To this is finally added another 500 ml. containing 0.3 ml. M CaClz.

(B) Sucrose nutrient broth (SNB).-The SNB contains in grams/liter the following: casamino acids (Difco), 10 g.; nutrient broth (Difco), 10 g.; glucose, 1 g.; sucrose, g. After autoclaving, the following are added aseptically: 10 ml. of 10% MgSO4 and 3.3 ml. of 30% bovine v serum albumin (BSA) from Armour Laboratories.

(C) Reagents required for the production of spheroplasts.-The following solutions are required for the production of spheroplasts: lysozyme (Sigma) at 2 17 nig/ml. in 0.25 M tris, pH 8.0; protamine sulfate from Eli Lilly and Co., 0.1%; and sterile solutions of 30% BSA; 0.25 M tris (Trizma), pH 8.0; 0.01 M tris, pH 7.5 and pH 8.0; 0.5 M sucrose; 0.4% EDTA in 0.01 M tris, pH 7.5.

For the preparation of spheroplasts, an overnight culture of Q-l3 in 3XD medium is first diluted into a fresh medium to an CD66@ of 0.06. The culture is allowed to grow to an ODM@ between 0.2 and 0.22 at 30 C., and the cells spun down at room temperature. The pellet from 25 ml. of cells is first suspended in 0.35 ml. of 0.5 M sucrose plus 0.1 ml. of 0.25 M tris, pH 8.0. Then 0.01 m1. of lysozyme is added followed by 0.03 ml. EDTA. After 10 minutes at room temperature, when conversion to spheroplasts is 99.9%, 0.2 ml. of this stock is diluted into 3.8 ml. SNB and 0.025 ml. of protamine sulfate is added. The spheroplast stock must be examined microscopically before proceeding. The presence of even breakage of spheroplasts indicates a preparation which will give a low efficiency of plating. In agreement with Paranchych (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 11, 28 (1963)) we have found that protamine increases the efficiency of detection of infectious RNA. However, the optimal protamine concentration in the present system is considerably lower than that used by Paranchych.

The RNA infection is usually carried out at room temperature with solutions containing 0.57 of RNA/ml., a concentration at which the assay is not limited by the number of spheroplasts per infectious unit. To 0.2 ml. of RNA is added 0.2 ml. of the spheroplast stock containing about 3x10I spheroplasts. The samples are mixed and immediately an aliquot is removed and diluted appropriately through SNB before plating on L-agar using Q-13 as the indicator. The soft agar (0.7%) layer employed (2.5 ml.) contains sucrose; 0.1% MgSO4; and 0.01 ml. of 30% BSA per tube plus 0.2 ml. of an overnight culture of Q-13. To obtain reproducibility, the spheroplast stock is used between 15 and 45 minutes after dilution into the SNB. Efficiency of plating (E.O.P.) is usually between 2-8Xl0-7. Higher efiiciencies lX10-6) can be obtained if the spheroplast stock is employed immediately after dilution and by including a stabilization period in the SNB dilution tubes, rather than plat-ing immediately. However, this higher plating efficiency decays rapidly, making it difficult to obtain reproducible duplicates in repetitive assays. Since reproducibility was of greater concern than efficiency, the assay method detailed above was employed.

(5) Results In designing experiments which involve infectivity 'assays of the enzymatically synthesized RNA, it is mportant to recognize that even highly purified enzymes from infected cells, although demonstrably devoid of intact cells, are likely to include some virus particles. Chemically, the contamination is trivial, amounting to 0.167 of nucleic acid and 0.8I of protein Afor each 1,0007 of enzyme protein employed in the present studies. Since 407 of protein are used for each 0.25 ml. of reaction, the contribution to the total RNA by the particles is only 0.0067, which is to be compared with the 0.25l of input RNA and the 3-207 synthesized in the usual experiment. It was shown in control experiments that RNA freshly extracted from particles in the reaction mixture is no more infective than that obtained from the usual purified virus preparation. Further, the mandatory requirement for added RNA proves that within the incubation times used, this small amount of RNA is either inadequate or unavailable for the initiation Of the reaction. Thus, these particles do not significantly influence either the chemical or the enzymatic aspects of the experiment. However, because of their higher infective efficiency, even moderate amounts of intact virus cannot be tolerated in the examinations of the synthesized RNA for infectivity. Consequently, all RNA preparations were phenol treated (see procedure in Example II, part 3) prior to assay. Further, the phenol purified RNA was routinely tested for whole virus particles and none were found in the experiments included herein.

EXAMPLE III Experiments were made in which the kinetics of the appearance of new RNA and infective units were examined in two different ways. The first shows that the accumulation of radioactive RNA is accompanied by a proportionate increase in infective units. The second type proves by a serial dilution experiment that the newly synthesized RNA is infective.

(l) Assay of infectivity of the purified product To compare the appearance of new RNA and infectious units in an extensive synthesis, 8 ml. of reaction mixture was set up containing the necessary components iu the concentrations specified in Example II, part 2. Aliquots were taken at the times indicated for the determination of radioactive RNA and purification of the product for infectivity assay. The results concerning the kinetics of RNA synthesis and formation of infectious units are summarized in FIG. 4 in the form of a semi-logarithmic plot against time of the observed increase in both RNA and infectious units.

In obtaining data for FIG. 4, and 8 rnl. reaction mixture was set up containing the components at the concentrations specified in Example II, part 2. Samples were taken as follows: 1 ml. at O time and 30 min., 0.5 ml. at 60 min., 0.3 ml. at min., and 0.2 ml. at all subsequent times. 20x were removed for assay of incorporated radioactivity as described in Example II, part 2. The RNA was purified from the remainder (Example II, part 3), radioactivity being determined on the final product to monitor recovery. infectivity assays were carried out as in Example II, part 4.

The amount of RNA (0.8 'y/ml.) put in at zero time is well below the saturation level of the enzyme present. Consequently, the RNA increases autocatalytically for about the .first 90 minutes, followed by a synthesis which is linear with time, a feature which we had observed previously. It will be noted that the increase in RNA is paralleled by a rise in the number of infectious units. During the 240 minutes of incubation, the RNA experiences a 75-fold increase and the infectious units a 35- fold increase over the amount present at zero time. These numbers are in agreement within the accuracy limits of the infectivity test. Experiments carried out with another enzyme preparation yielded results in complete accord with those just described.

-It is clear that one can lprovide evidence for an increase in the number of infectious units which parallels the appearance of newly synthesized RNA.

(2) -Proof that the newly synthesized RNA molecules are infective The kind of experiments just described offer plausible evidence for infectivity of the radioactive \RNA. They are not, however, conclusive, since they do not eliminate the possibility that the agreement observed is fortuitous. One could argue that the enzyme is activating the infectivity of the input RNtA while synthesizing new noninfectious RNA and that the rather complex mixture of exponential and linear kinetics of the two processes happen to coincide by chance.

Direct proof that the newly synthesized RNA is infectious can in principle be obtained by experiments which use N15-H3-labeled initial templates to generate N14-P32-labeled product. The two can t-hen be separated (Proc. Natl Acad. Sci., U.S., 49, 353-360 (11963)) in equilibrium density gradients of Cs2SO4. Such experiments have been carried out for other purposes. However, the steepness of the CSZSO4 density gradients makes 3,444,041 19 20 it difficult to achieve a separation clean enough to be bated for 60 minutes. As compared with tube 1 which completely satisfying. incorporated 4,800 c.p.m. for each 20x in 40 minutes, There exists, however, another approach which bythe control showed no increase above the zero time level passes these technical difficulties and takes advantage of of 80 c.p.m. Further, no increase in infective units was the fact that we are dealing with a self-propagating observed in such controls.

TABLE 65.-SE RIAL T RANSFE R EXPE RIMENT Concentration of Original Formation of RNA Template Formation of IU 13 14 Ob- Percent 2 4 5 6 7 11 served Recovery 1 Interval 3 cpm. X Total A E 9 A 12 e.o.p. of Transfer No. (min.) Time -5 (7) (7) (7) 8 7 Strands 10 IU 10-6 2 X 10- X 10-1 1)"RNA 0 0 0 0.2 0 0 2.0)(10-1 1.2)(10n 6. GX10* 1.0 1.0 5.5

40 40 64 3. 2 3. 0 3. 0 2. GX10-l 1. 2)(10I1 6. 0Xl0l 5. 2 5. 2 3. 2 54. 2

40 80 84 4. 2 3. 6 6. 6 4. 0X1()-2 2. 4X1010 1. 2Xl0 2. 2 6. 5 2. 0 88. 3

40 120 112 5. 7 4. 9 l1. 5 6. 7X10'3 4. 0X10 2. 0X103 1l. 3 17. 4 5. 3 59. 9

40 160 134 6. 7 5. 6 17. 1 1. 1X 10-3 6. 6)(108 6. GX10z 5. 7 2l. 2 3. 0 42. 3

20 380 121 6. 0 4. 7 62. 9 6. 6X10'1u 3. 8X10l 1 6. 9 84. 3 7. 0 46. 8

20 420 118 5. 9 4. 7 72. 5 l. 8X10"l1 l 1 10. 8 102. 0 5. 7 79. 7

20 440 75 3. 6 2. 4 74. 9 3. lXlO-lz 0. 16 1 3. 2 105. 0 5. 5 65. 4

Sixteen reaction mixtures of 0.25 ml. were set up, each containing 407 of protein and the other components specified for the standard" assay in Example II, supra. 0.27 of template RNA were added to tubes 0 and l; RNA was extracted from the former immediately, and the latter was allowed to incubate for 40 min. Then 50). of tube 1 were transferred to tube 2, which was incubated for 40 min. and 50x of tube 2 then transferred to tube 3, and so on, each step after the first involving a 1-6 dilution of the input material. Every tube was transferred from an ice bath to the 35 C. water beth a few minutes before use to permit temperature equilibration. After the transfer from a given tube, 10). were removed to determine the amorut of p32- RNA synthesized, and the product was purified from the remainder as described in Example Il, supra. Control tubes incubated for 60 min. without the addition of the 0.27 of RNA showed no detectable RNA synthesis, nor any formation oi infectious units.

All recorded numbers are normalized to 0.25 ml. Columns l, 2, and 3 give the transfer number, the time interval permitted for synthesis, and the elapsed time from zero, respectively. Column 4 records the amount of radioactive RNA found in each tube at the end of the incubation, column 5 the total RNA in each, and 6 gives the net synthesis during the time interval. Column i lists the cumulative synthesis of RNA. The decreasing concentrations of the input RNA resulting from the serial dilutions are recorded in terms of 7 (col. 8), number of strands (col. 0), and infectious units (IU) per tube (col. l0). The last is calculated from column 9 and from an efficiency of plat-ing (cop.) of 5x10-7. Column 11 lists the increment in infectious units observed during each period of synthesis, corrected for the efficiency of recovery (co1. 14), and column 12 represents the corresponding sum. Column 13 is the plating efficiency (e.o.p.) determined from the observed number of plaques (col. 11) and the actual amount of RNA assayed as determined from columns 6 and 14. Column 14 is determined from assays of acid-precipitable radioactivityofjZOx ali ts of the final product as compared with column 5.

entity. Consider a series of tubes, each containing 0.25 ml. of the standard reaction mixture, but no added teniplate. The first tube is seeded with 0.27l of Q-RNA and K RNAsynthesisa'nd formation of infectious unitsin ai serial transfer experiment, and compares the` cumulative increments with"` time in newly incubated for a period adequate for the synthesis of synthesized RNA (column 7 of Table 6, supra) and inseveral 7 of radioactive RNA. An aliquot (50x) is then fectious units (column l2 4of Table 6, supra). All details transferred to the second tube which is in turn permitted 40 of FIG. 5 are as `describedgin Table 6, supra, and the data to synthesize about the same amount of RN-A, a portion are taken from columns @Tand ll of Table 6 and plotted of which is again transferred to a third tube, and so against elapsed timefcolumn 3) and corresponding transon. If each successive synthesis produces RNA which fer number (colui-mil);- Both ordinates of FIG. 5 refer can serve to initiate the next one, the experiment can be to amounts found in 0.2 5 ml. aliquot. continued until a point is reached at which the initial 4,5 .The agreement between increments in synthesized RNA RNA of tube 1 has been diluted to an insignificant level; and newly. appearing infectious units is excellent at every In fact, enough transfers can be made to insure that the stage of the Aserial transfer-and continues to the last tube. last tube contains less than one strand of the input primer. Long after the initial RNA has been diluted to insignificant If in all the tubes, including the last, t-he number of levels, the RNA from one tube serves to initiate synthesis infectious units corresponds to the amount of radioactive in the next. Further, as may be seen from the compara- RNA found, convincing evidence is offered that the tive constancy of the infective etiiciency (FIG. 5 and newly synthesized RNA is infectious. column 13 of Table 6, supra), the new RNA is fully Table 6, infra, records a complete account of such a as competent as the original viral RNA to program the serial transfer experiment and the corresponding legend synthesis of viral particles in spheroplasts. provides the details necessary to follow the assays and To complete the proof, it was necessary to show that calculations. Sixteen tubes are involved, the first (tube the viruses produced by the synthesized RNA were in- 0) being an unincubated zero time control. -It will be deed Q, the original source of the RNA used as a seed in noted that the successive dilution was such (1 to 6) tube 1 to initiate the transfer experiment. Since Q is a that by the 8th tube, there was less than one infectious unique serological type (Nihon Rinsho, 22, 243 (1964)), -unit ascribable to the initiating 0.27 of RNA. Neverthethis characteristic was chosen as a convenient diagnostic less, this same tube showed 8.8)( newly synthesized test. Plaques induced by the RNA synthesized in tube 15 infectious units during the 30 minutes of its incubation. were used to produce lysates, and the resulting particles Finally, tube 15, which contained less than one strand exposed to antisera against MS-2 and Q5. The results, of the original input, produced 1.4 1012 new strands briefiy summarized in Table 7, infra, show clearly that and 3.2)( 105 infectious units in 2O minutes. IIt should be 65 the synthetic RNA induces virus particles of the same noted that a control tube lacking added RNA was incuserological type as authentic Q.

TABLE 7.-SEROLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF VIRUS FORMED IN RESPONSE TO SYNTHETIC RNAl Antiscra Anti-Q5 Anti-MS-Z virus 0 t 10 S Percent 0 Percent ime min. urvivors time 10 mln. Su o Virus from Synthetic RN 1. 5 10g 8. 8X104 053 1. 5X1()s 1. 40X108 93 l In all c ases, lysates were made from E. coli Q13, which was also the assay organism. Antisera were used at 1/100 dilution and the incubation temperature was 35 C. The numbers represent plaque foi-mers per nil.

One perhaps might have imagined that an enzyme carrying out a complex copying process would show a high error frequency when functioning in the unfamiliar environment provided by the enzymologist. Had this been a quantitatively significant complication, biologically inactive strands should have accumulated as the synthesis progressed. That this is not the case is rather dramatically illustrated by the serial transfer experiment (Table 6 and FIG. The RNA synthesized after the 15th transfer is as competent biologically as the initiating natural material derived from virus particles.

The successful synthesis of a biologically active nucleic acid with a purified enzyme is itself of obvious interest. However, the implication which is most pregnant with potential usefulness stems from the demonstration that the replicase is, in fact, generating identical copies of the viral RNA. For the first time, a system has been made available which permits the unambiguous analysis of the molecular basis underlying the replication of a selfpropagating nucleic acid. Every step and component necessary to complete the replication must be represented in the reaction mixture described. If two enzymes are required (Fed. Proc., 23, 1285-1296 (1964)), both must be present and it should be possible to either establish their existence or to prove that one is sufficient. If an intermediate replicating stage intervenes between the template and the ultimate identical copy (Fed. Proc., 23, 1285-1296 (1964)), then a replicative form should be demonstrably present in the reaction mixture. If copying is direct, no such intermediate will be found.

EXAMPLE IV (1) Procedure The host and assay organism is E. coli Q-13, an Hfr mutant lacking ribonuclease I and phosphorylase (Fed. Proc., 24, 293 (1965)). 'The virus is Q, isolated by Watanabe (Nihon Rinsho, 22, 243 (1964)). All the methods of preparing infected cells, purication of the replicase, synthesis of radioactive substrates, and assay for enzyme activity have been detailed above.

The RNA of the Q virus is apparently more accessible to enzymatic breakage than that of MS-2 and therefore, some care and speed has to be exercised in preparing RNA from this virus.

The procedures are as follows: E. coli (Q-13) cultures were grown to an ODGGO between 0.2 and 0.3 in the :presence of MS2 antiserum at a dilution of 1 to 10,000. Q phage is adde at a multiplicity of infection of and the culture is incubated for min. at 37 C. without shaking. The cultures are then aerated by shaking, lysis occurring after about 2 hrs. Shaking is continued for an additional 4 hrs. and then the cultures are chilled. The lysate is centrifuged for 10 min. at 5,000X g. and 311 grams of ammonium sulfate are added to each liter of chilled supernatant. After 3-4 hrs. at 5 C., the particles are collected by centrifugation at 13,000X g. for 1 hr. They are then resuspended in TM buffer (10z M tris, 5 X103 M MgCl2, pH 7.5) and dialyzed twice for two hours against 2,000 ml. of TM buffer. The phage suspension is then centrifuged at 10,000X g. for 10 min. and the supernatant uid incubated with pronace (l mg./ml.) for 1 hr. at 30 C. Sodium dodecyl sulfate is then added to 0.4% and the RNA isolated yby phenol (see Example II, part 3) at 4 C.

(2) Results (A) Response lo fragmented Q RNA.-Fragmented RNA molecules are readily obtained from Q by pro longing the 4 hr. period of the ammonium sulfate precipitation to 10 hrs. and beyond. The resulting RNA shows evidence of an ordered breakdown revealed by the appearance of reproducible peaks having sedimentation values lower than the 28S of the intact viral RNA. These are fractionated for size on a sucrose gradient, collected, and con centrated by alcohol precipitation. FIGURE 6 concerns the response of replicase to intact and fragmented Q- RNA. The sedimentation profiles of three preparations are shown in the inset of FIG. 6. The first is the intact viral RNA (28S) prepared as described in part 1. The second is a half-piece with a mean of about 17S, and the third possesses a sedimentation coefficient of 7S. The responses of the replicase to the three RNA preparations are shown in FIG. 6. It is obvious that the fragmented material is unable to stimulate the replicase to anywhere near its full activity.

More specifically, the inset of FIG. 6 represents distribution in a linear sucrose gradient (2 5-15%) of RNA prepared and fractionated as described in part l, supra. Each preparation was run in a separate bucket for 12 hrs. at 25,000 r.p.m. and 4 C. in a SW-25 Spinco rotor with markers (ribosomal RNA) to permit S-value determinations. The template function of each size class of RNA was determined in the assay described in Example I, supr In addition to 40,1tg. of protein, each standard reaction volume of 0.25 ml. contained the following in /imolesr Tris HCl, pH 7.4, 21; MgClq, 3.2; MnCl2, 0.2; CTP, ATP, UTP, and GTP, 0.2 each. The reaction is run for 20 min. at 35 C. and terminated in an ice bath followed by precipitation with TCA and washing on a membrane for liquid scintillation counting as described in Example I, supra. UTP32 synthesized as detailed by Haruna et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S., 50, 905 (1963)) was used at a level of 1 105 c.p.m./0.2 nmoles.

(B) The effect of manganese on the size and sequence requirements of the replicase-In the course of examining template specificity and size requirements of the Q18- replicase, a striking effect of manganese was uncovered. A typical set of results are summarized in Table 8, infra. In the presence of Mg++, the ability of either the 17S fragment or TYMV-RNA to stimulate the enzyme is almost negligible, corresponding to 2 and 4% respectively of that observed with intact Q-RNA. On the other hand, if Mn++ is substituted for Mg++, a striking change is observed. Normal synthesis Iwith 28S RNA is strongly inhibited whereas the abnormal activities observed with 17S and TYMV-RNA are stimulated. Indeed, if one were unaware of the optimal conditions for the functioning of this enzyme, one might be tempted to conclude from the results obtained with Mn++ that the Q-replicase prefers TYMV-RNA as a template and is comparatively indifferent to the size of the RNA with which it functions.

Incorp. 0.13.111.

Mg++ 01M) Mn++ (aM) 1 Reactions (0.25 ml.) contained 1 pig. of the indicated RNA and 40 pg. ol protein in addition to the other components detailed in the description of Fig. G, supra, with the modifications noted in the body of the table. Incuhations were carried out at 35 C. for 20 min.; washing and counting was the saine as described in Fig. 6. TYMV refers to intact RNA isolated from Turnip Yellow Mosaic virus. (QB-28S is the intact RNA ot the Q6 bacteriophage and 17S is the fragment of halt-size.

The abnormalities induced in the reaction by either fragmented RNA or the presence of manganese is even more obvious from the kinetics of the reaction (see FIG. 7).

sfr/14,041

Reactions were set up as detailed in FIG. 6, except that Mn++ was omitted or included as indicated, Samples of 0.25 ml. were taken and treated for counting as in FIG. 6. Template concentrations were in all cases 1 pg. of RNA for each 40 ag. of enzyme in 0.25 ml. It should be noted that the ordinate of the right half of FIG. 7 is 1A@ that of the left half of FIG. 7.

As had been observed previously, synthesis continues linearly for extension periods in the presence of saturating amounts of intact template and Mg++. If, however, lvln++ is included in the reaction mixture, the reaction stops in about 60 min. even with the 28s-RNA as the template. If we now examine the response of the enzyme to fragmented template (FIG. 7), it is seen that the initial reaction rate is less than 10% of normal and, furthermore, ceases completely in 30 min. whether Mnt+ is present or not.

EXAMPLE V Intact viral RNA for use as a template may be prepared in accordance with the procedure set forth below.

The host is an Hfr strain of E. coli (Q-l3). It is grown at 37 C. ywith vigorous aeration on 3XD medium (l. Biol. Chem., 205, 291 (1953)) to an optical density at 660 ma of 0.15, which corresponds to l08 cells per ml. To eliminate any possibilities of cross-contamination with, for example, MS-2, a -4 dilution of NIS-2 antiserum is put in the culture. lf MS-Z is being grown up. antiserum against Q is included in the culture. The culture is then infected at a multiplicity of infectino of 5 or greater of virus particles to cells. Approximately five minutes quiescence is allowed for absorption and then aeration is instituted until lysis occurs in about 2 to 3 hours.

The lysate is then assayed to determine the number of virus particles per ml., which usually run between 3 and 8X1011 plaque forming units per ml. At this point, the presence of other possible contaminating particles are also monitored by using other hosts, eg., E. coli B. In addition, the phage particles are checked against Q antiserum to make certain that they are Q phage particles.

The lysate is then centrifuged at 9000 rpm. for 45-60 minutes. The supernate is then poured into 3 4 liter beakers and 311 gm. of ammonium sulphate are then added per liter of the supernate. This is then allowed to stand for 21/2 to 31/2 hours at 4 C. and then centrifuged at 9000 r.p.m. again for 45 to 60 minutes. The supernate is discarded. The pellets are resuspended in 2O to 30 ml. of .0l molar tris buffer at pH 7.5 and 103 M magnesium. This is then dialyzed against 200 ml. of the same buffer for at least 4 hours at 4 C. After the dialysis, the phage suspension is centrifuged at 15,000 r.p.m. for to 30 minutes and the pellet discarded. The supernate is incubated in the presence of l mg. per ml. of pronase for 60 minutes at 35 C. It is then made 0.2% with respect to sodium dodecyl sulphate. The resulting suspension is then shaken with water-saturated phenol. The protein is retained in the interface beteen the phenol and the water and the RNA, freed of protein, remains in the aqueous phase. The RNA can then be precipitated with two volumes of alcohol in the cold and the intact viral RNA recovered by centrifugation and resuspended in a suitable buffer for subsequent use.

Attempts at analyzing replicating mechanisms must recognize the implications of the fact that the enzymes involved are likely to be complicated molecules. High levels of complexity provide the flexibility which permits the occurrence of abnormal activities, a potentiality which can be accentuated by exposure to either strange environments or usual components. Thus, in the absence of primer, the DNA-dependent DNA-polymerase eventually initiates the synthesis of an A-T copolymer (I. Biol. Chem., 235, 3242 (1960)). In the presence of Mn++, the same enzyme will incorporate riboside triphosphates (Berg` P., H. Faucher, and M. Chamberlin, in Informational Macromolecules, ed. H. J. Vogel, V. Bryson, and I. O. Lampen (New York: Academic Press, 1963)) into a mixed polymer. Analogously, the DNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase (transcriptase) synthesizes poly A if supplied only with ATP, a reaction which is inhibited if the other riboside triphosphates are added (Symposia held at VII Internat. Congress for Microbiology, pp. 81-103 (1958); Proc. Natl Acad. Sci., U.S. 48, 81 (1962)). If presented with a single stranded DNA, the transcriptase synthesizes a -DNA-RNA hybrid (I. Mol. Biol., 8, 297 (1964); I. Mol. lBiol., 8, 289 (1964); Proc. Natl Acad. Sci., U.S., 52, 796 (1964); Biophys. I. 5, 231 (1965)), and if the template is RNA, a duplex RNA results (Proc. Natl Acad. Sci., U.S., 49, 88 (1963); Proc. Nat`l Acad. Sci., 48, 880 (1962); I. Mol. Biol., 9, 193 (1964) The fact that such artifacts can occur makes it dicult to draw inconstesable conclusions frorn the appearance of a product in a reaction. Evidence, other than simple existence, must be provided before a component is accepted as an obligatory normal intermediate in the polymerization process.

The experiments reported indicate that the response of the replicase to fragmented Q-RNA and heterologous RNA is very different from what is observed with intact Q-RNA. For the present, it must be emphasized that the study of the normal functioning of the replicase requires intact homologous RNA and the avoidance of Mn++. The early cessation of the reaction with fragments (See FIG. 7) may explain the limited synthesis seen by others with partially purified enzyme preparations from which nucleases have not been completely eliminated.

The inability of the replicase to properly employ fragments of its own genome as templates argues against a recognition mechanism involving only a beginning sequence. The enzyme can apparently sence when it is confronted with an intact RNA molecule, implying that some element of secondary structure is involved. A plausible formal explanation can be proposed in terms of functional circularity. Thus, a decision on the intactness of a linear heteropolymer can be readily made by examining both ends for the proper sequences. An examination of this sort would be physically aided by forming a circle using terminal sequences of overlapping complementarity. The enzyme could then recognize the resulting region of double strandedness. This particular mechanism is 0ffered only as a theorized example (not intended to limit our invention) of how an enzyme could simultaneously distinguish both sequence and intactness. Whatever the details turn out to be, it appears that the RNA replicases are designed to avoid the futility of replicating either foreign sequences or incomplete copies of their own genome.

We claim:

1. The method of synthesizing in vitro a biologically active intact ribonucleic acid comprising the steps of providing an activated system capable of synthesizing in vitro biologically active ribonucleic acid for prolonged or extensive periods, which system includes biologically active intact ribonucleic acid; the specific replicase for said ribonucleic acid that is free of detectable destructive contaminants including ribonuclease I and phosphorylase, and which will recognize the intact ribonucleic acid of its origin; the nucleotide base components adenosine triphosphate, guanosine triphosphate, cytidine triphosphate, and uridine triphosphate; and divalent magnesium ions as an activating cofactor; and allowing said system to incubate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said ribonucleic acid is a viral ribonucleic acid.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said nucleotide base components are isotopically labelled.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said synthesized ribonucleic acid is recovered from said system.

5. The method of synthesizing in vitro biologically active, sensible, translatable, intact ribonucleic acid involving copying the sequence of bases thereof, said method comprising the steps of providing an activated in vitro system which includes biologically active, homologous,

i t i i intact ribonucleic acid; the specific replicase for said ribonucleic acid which will recognize the intact ribonucleic acid of its origin and which is free of detectable degrading enzymes and inhibitors including ribonuclease I and phosphorylase; the nucleotide base components adenosine triphosphate, guanosine triphosphate, cytidine triphosphate, and uridine triphosphate; and divalent magnesium ions as an activating cofactor; and allowing said system to incubate.

6. The method of claim wherein said synthesized ribonucleic acid is recovered from said system.

7. The method of reproducing biologically active, intact ribonucleic acid in vitro, which method comprises the steps of providing an in vitro, enzymatic, self-duplicating system having (a) biologically active, homologous, intact, self-propagating, ribonucleic acid template, (b) the specic selective active homologous replicase for said ribonucleic acid that has a selective preference for the homologous template and which will recognize the intact ribonucleic acid of its origin, said replicase being free of detectable nuclease activity and destructive enzymological activity including ribonuclease I and phosphorylase, (c) the nucleotide base components adenosine triphosphate, guanosine triphosphate, cytidine triphosphate, and uridine triphosphate, and (d) divalent magnesium ions as an activating cofactor, allowing said system to incubate and recovering biologically active ribonucleic acid produced from said system.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said ribonucleic acid is a viral ribonucleic acid.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said ribonucleic acid is ribonucleic acid of bacteriophage Q.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said ribonucleic acid is ribonucleic acid of bacteriophage MS-2.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said system does not have transcriptase present together with deoxyribonucleic acid.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said system includes deoxyribonucleic acid and said replicase includes transcriptase.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein said base components are isotopically labelled.

14. The method of reproducing replicas of intact viral ribonucleic acid free of proteinaceous coating in vitro, which method comprises providing an in vitro, enzymatic, self-duplicating system having (a) a biologically active, self-propagating, homologous, intact, viral ribonucleic acid input template free of a protein coating; (b) the active specific replicase for said viral ribonucleic acid that has a selective preference for said template and which will recognize the intact ribonucleic acid of its origin, said replicase being free of detectable nuclease activity and destructive enzymological activity including ribonuclease I and phosphorylase; (c) the nucleotide base components adenosine triphosphate, guanosine triphosphate, cytidine triphosphate, and uridine triphosphate, (d) divalent magnesium ions as an activating cofactor, and in -which the system does not have transcriptase present together with deoxyribonucleic acid; and allowing said system to incubate.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said replicase are recovered from said system.

16. Replicase for viral RNA, said replicase being free of detectable levels of degrading enzymes and inhibitors including ribonuclease I and phosphorylase, being able to recognize the intact ribonucleic acid of its origin, and being capable of providing prolonged or extensive replication of homologous, intact viral RNA from adenosine triphosphate, guanosine triphosphate, cytidine triphosphate, uridine triphopshate, and magnesium ions.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein manganese ions are added to said system to selectively interfere with said synthesis.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said biologically active RNA is viral RNA.

References Cited Haruna et al.: Biochemistry, vol. 50, pp. 906-911 (1963).

ALVIN E. TANENHOLTZ, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

